


Breaking the Ice

by toonlink



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Related, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Yuuri has anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-03 18:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15824721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toonlink/pseuds/toonlink
Summary: I am convinced that Yuuri and Viktor's first kiss happened well before the cup of China.This is the story leading up to it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first of all a huge shoutout and thank you goes to my dear friend [pixihawk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixihawk), who helped a ton with motivating me, giving me inspiration and just being an amazing friend all together. She also beta read this whole thing, which helped a lot <3  
> Please go check out her writing as well and give her some love! <3 (she’s so talented!)
> 
> Second of all, I want to mention that English is not my first language.  
> If you come across any grammatical errors or sentences that sound weird, I'm sorry.  
> Please do not hesitate to tell me so I can fix stuff!  
> And generally, this is my first work that's more than just a oneshot so I would love to have some feedback to improve my writing.  
> I should also mention that this is kind of a reupload.  
> I wasn’t satisfied with the first version of this chapter so I decided to improve and reupload it.
> 
> Thank you for reading ! 
> 
> An alternative title for this chapter would be: “Viktor Nikiforov is a touch starved bitch”

„Yuuri, I _adore_ you,“ Victor purred, pinning Yuuri to the mattress beneath him, intertwining their fingers.

He dove down to press an open mouthed kiss on the other man’s soft lips and licked into his mouth earning a surprised gasp from the other.

Slowly Victor worked himself down Yuuri’s neck leaving kisses and love bites on his way.

“Victor,” Yuuri sighed. His hair was messy and his eyes were open wide, making Victor smile with satisfaction. He loved when he got that kind of reaction out of him.

“ _Victor_!”

 

And just like that Victor’s  dream was over. Damn, it had been a good dream.

At least it was the same Yuuri as in his dream that was gently shaking him awake.

It seemed that Victor had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

Where were they again?

Victor slowly recollected his thoughts.

Right, they were on the train back to Hasetsu. They had spent their day with Yuuri showing Victor the different sights and the nature that existed around it.

It had been a lovely day and the two of them had shared one or two quiet moments together, just looking at the ocean together, eating the food that they had brought and Victor listening to the stories Yuuri told him about the place he grew up at.  It had felt strangely intimate.

Victor loved Japan. He loved the food, the beautiful nature, the kind people and their traditions as well as the sound of the ocean waves hitting the soft sand on the beach. And then there was Yuuri.

It was like Japan enabled him to slow down and focus on the quiet moments. Just like this one.

“Mmh, good morning,” Victor replied, snuggling up even closer, his face resting against the soft material of Yuuri’s scarf.

He could blame it on the sleepiness, right?

“V-Victor!” 

Victor blinked, looking up at Yuuri’s face.  
God, he was so beautiful. How much he wanted to kiss those soft looking lips right now. He was sure they’d taste amazing. He saw that Yuuri’s cheeks were slightly red. _Cute_.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?”

Oh, he had been caught staring.

“Uhm no, it’s nothing.” Victor slowly straightened his back and got back into his own seat. He stretched his arms and was already missing the warmth and softness of Yuuri’s body against his.

Oh and his smell of course. Yuuri smelled almost flowery, kind of sweet yet nowhere too sweet to be unpleasant. It made him feel at home and it was kind of addicting, really. After all, having Yuuri was the closest thing he had to a home here in Japan.

Of course everyone in the Katsuki family had been unbelievably welcoming and kind to him just kind of showing up and moving in, but it still felt different from the connection he felt with Yuuri.

If only Yuuri felt the same. Victor couldn’t help but wonder what Yuuri thought of him.

Surely he had to feel a connection as well? Victor could only hope.

  
“I’m sorry Yuuri, I must have fallen asleep. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“Hey, it’s okay. You looked exhausted. Feel better?,” Yuuri replied with a warm smile.

“Yeah, much better. Your shoulder is really soft and comfortable, did you know?,” he winked, causing

Yuuri to blush all over.

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri missed having Victor all to himself when he was asleep. Why did he wake him up again?

They were all by themselves in the train compartment and it was the only time he could admire his features without being scared of getting caught.

Admiring your crush in person was definitely different from just staring at a poster of him. It was _so_ much more intense.

He could see every little feature of Victor’s _very_ pretty face.

His long full eyelashes and the tiny freckles on his nose and cheeks that you could only see when you looked really close. His soft looking, silvery hair that had fallen into his face.

Had Victor Nikiforov ever considered a modelling career? Because it sure would be more promising than coaching some random Japanese guy, right?

He had hated having to wake him up with Victor finally being closer to him than he had ever dared to dream of, happily snuggled up against him and sleeping peacefully.

He must have really been exhausted to fall asleep on him like that.  
Yuuri had never seen him sleep before he looked…vulnerable when he was asleep. He looked younger with his features softened as he’d dozed off, relaxed with his body so close to Yuuri’s.  
He had also been mumbling something incomprehensible which Yuuri honestly found kind of cute.  
  
Yuuri missed his warmth now that he was back again in his own seat and all that was left to him was Victor’s lingering scent reminding him of cinnamon and winter spices.

He still looked kind of sleepy and his usually perfect hair was a little bit messed up. It looked good on him, really. He stroked it out of his face with a warm smile when their gazes met. His cheeks were slightly pink from sleepiness. Yuuri resisted the urge to stroke them with his hand, curious how his skin would feel beneath it.

  
“What are you thinking about?,” he asked Yuuri quietly.

“Uhh, nothing really – I was just thinking about uhm, ice skating.”

_I’m lying. I’m thinking about how perfect you are._

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little nervous.”

“Y-yeah I’m fine, I think I’m just worried about the upcoming competitions.”

He seemed satisfied with that answer. It wasn’t too much of a lie. Of course Yuuri was worried about that, but that definitely wasn’t the first thing on his mind right now.

“Yuuri. Please don’t worry too much. You are truly amazing and you are going to do beautifully. I’m sure of it.”

Victor smiled at him again with the smile that Yuuri loved oh so much.

 _Had his idol just really just called him amazing?_ _Wow_.

Yuuri smiled back. “Thank you, Victor.”

He took a look out of the window. Their train stop would be coming up soon.

Together they gathered up their things and walked back home at a slow pace, the sun starting to set behind the waves of the ocean as they went. Of course Victor didn’t miss that opportunity to snap a selfie with Yuuri for his Instagram page, the beautiful scenery in the background of the picture with the two of them grinning brightly, Victor’s arm around Yuuri’s shoulders and doing a peace sign with his fingers.

 

 

Back at Yu-Topia Makkachin greeted both of them at the door enthusiastically.

“Makkachin! Did you have a good day?,” Victor asked his furry friend, let him lick his face and sat down on the ground with him to give him the cuddles he had missed out on their day away.

“Thank you so much for looking after him Mari,” Victor said gratefully and gave her one of his one hundred watt smiles as Mari entered the hall to greet them.

“Hey no problem. He was on his best behaviour,” she grinned.

“Dinner is ready by the way. Did you guys have a good date- uhm I mean ….day?”

 _What did she say?_ _Date_?

“M-mari!,” Yuuri exclaimed.

“Oh we had an amazing time, didn’t we Yuuri?,” Victor replied cheerfully.

“Did you know that Yuuri’s shoulder is really comfortable to sleep on?” He winked.

Yuuri _died_. He could not deal with this anymore. Mari grinned mischievously when she saw his face heat up and Yuuri immediately knew that she was _not_ going to let him live this one down.

“I’m going to wash my hands,” he said, fleeing from the hallway.  “See you at dinner.”

Dinner went well. Even though Mari would throw Yuuri suspicious glances every now and then.

She knew well about Yuuri’s crush on Victor, having practically seen it form many years ago when Yuuri hadn’t even known Victor personally yet.

Yuuri had always been open about his sexuality with his family and had their unconditional support which he was really thankful for. Of course, this didn’t stop his sister from teasing him.

His mother had even tried to set him up with another guy once or twice but it had never worked out.

She would still ask about his friend Phichit now and then, and every time Yuuri had to stress to her: “Yes mom, Phichit is gay too, but that doesn’t mean we are dating. We are just friends.”

She really _really_ liked Phichit. She always asked to greet him when Yuuri and him were skyping.

 

After dinner, Victor approached Yuuri.

“Yuuri, can you come over to my room in a minute? I want to discuss something with you.”

His expression seemed neutral.

_What did Victor want to talk about ?_

_Was he angry that they had skipped their skating practice today?_

_Did he say something wrong? Or do something?_

_Was he bored of him? Had he noticed what Yuuri was feeling?_

_Did Victor want to teach Yurio over all because he was a much more promising talent?_

God, Yuuri felt like he was about to lose his mind. He tried to calm himself down.

_It is probably nothing._

Despite his efforts his knees still felt like they were made out of pudding and he felt his heart beat in his chest when he went upstairs to knock on Victor’s bedroom door, a thousand questions popping up in his head like white noise.

“Yuuriiii! You’re here! Come inside,“ Victor exclaimed cheerfully as he opened his door and lightly placed a hand on his back, leading him into the room.

Surprised, Yuuri visibly tensed up at his touch, which Victor noticed.

“Is everything okay?” He looked worried.

“I’m uhm, I don’t know Victor. Am I in trouble?” Yuuri was trembling ever so slightly when he started voicing his worries.

“What? Why would you be in trouble? Hey, come here.” Victor guided him to the bed and gestured to the empty spot next to him. Yuuri sat down. Victor sat down close to him, however having let go of his back as if he was unsure what to do.

“Did I say something wrong Yuuri? Please be honest with me. The last thing I wanted is to make you nervous or hurt you. I’m sorry.”

_God I’m such an idiot. Now I even made Victor worry with my overthinking._

Yuuri desperately tried to gather his thoughts into something comprehensible.

“I- I don’t know, Victor, I’m just. This is really hard to talk about for me.”

_Good enough._

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me anything you are not comfortable with.”

His face seemed genuine. Yuuri knew that he really just wanted to help him.

 _How could a person be so good inside and out?_ Yuuri let out a sigh.

“No, I mean, I want to tell you. I trust you. It’s just hard. Are you really not angry with me, Victor?”

A short silence fell between them.

“I promise, I’m not. How could I ever be angry with you? Have you seen your face? How could it even be possible for _anyone_ to get angry at you?”

_How was Victor so sweet? He was killing him._

Yuuri smiled at him weakly. He didn’t want Victor to worry about him. But he also wanted to show Victor that he trusted him and that would have to include opening up to him.  
Again, he took a deep breath and the thoughts just started spilling out of his soul.

“Okay, so this is probably stupid. But sometimes I just get really overwhelmed and think about all the things that could go wrong. Like when you told me you wanted to discuss something I thought you would quit as my coach or something. I  - I don’t do it on purpose but it’s like my thoughts won’t shut up about all the bad things that might happen. I - I’m sorry. I’m probably sounding super ridiculous right now.”

Yuuri nervously readjusted his glasses.

“Hey, listen,” Victor placed his hand on Yuuri’s and stroked it lightly with his thumb. The sudden touch sent a wave of electricity through his body.

“You are not being ridiculous. Just because I can’t feel what you are feeling right now doesn’t mean I don’t understand. I mean, even if I might not completely understand what you are going through does _not_ mean that you don’t have my full support. No matter what. I’m sorry for making you anxious Yuuri. I will do better next time, I promise. And I’m really glad you told me. It means a lot to me to have your trust. As your coach as well as your …friend.”

“Victor…” Yuuri was actually getting a little choked up. He was overcome with relief and emotions he couldn’t quite define yet.

Victor caught him in a hug.

“It’s okay, Yuuri.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After talking about Yuuri's worries Victor comforts him and tells him what it really was he wanted to talk about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back !! And I had so much fun writing this chapter!  
> Again thank you so much pixihawk for beta reading and for fueling me with your support ! :3  
> And also a huge thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments on my last chapter- You gave me a huge motivational boost and just generally made me happy with your kind words ;v; - thank you!  
> I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it! (they will kiss eventually, i promise)  
> This time the alternative chapter title is: "gay internal screaming"

Hugging Victor was always _really_ nice.

It was super comforting and just what Yuuri needed right now.

Yuuri hid his face in his chest and took a deep breath just enjoying Victor’s warmth and presence.

He could feel his tension slowly bleed out. He was beyond thankful for the comfort and it meant the world to him that Victor had taken his time to try and understand what he was going through.

Victor was resting his head on Yuuri’s shoulder and rubbing his back slowly. He let out a sigh.

Yuuri resisted the urge to pull away when he felt his heart starting to beat faster, suddenly realizing just how close the two of them were right now.  
What if he realized that Yuuri's heart beating like crazy had more to do with his affection for him than it had with his anxiety? As much as Yuuri tried to hide his crush on Victor he was also painfully aware how obvious it had to be to everyone else. His own mother had even called him her future son-in-law once, thankfully in Japanese, which Victor could only understand partially. Yuuri mentally groaned at the memory.

He stayed in Victor’s embrace for quite a while, the room quiet apart from the sound of the autumn wind that was blowing outside making the leaves on the ground rustle ever so slightly.

Yuuri savoured every second of their hug. It wasn’t like Victor didn’t hug him often, quite the opposite in fact. It was just that this one felt special. Yuuri couldn’t remember if he had been this close to him for such a long time.

Eventually it was Victor who pulled away.

Their eyes met. Victor’s eyes were a beautiful light blue with his iris having a slightly darker outline. Depending on the lighting Yuuri could sometimes even find a hint of green in them. When his gaze softened it reminded Yuuri of the calm ocean on a morning when the sun would just start to rise, painting the ocean with its soft, warm light.  
_He is so beautiful. How can anyone expect me not to fall for him? Does he even know how good he looks? Because that’s just plain ru-_  
  
“You know, Yuuri”, Victor interrupted his thoughts. “I feel kind of stupid now. I really just wanted to ask you what movie you wanted to watch tonight.” He chuckled nervously, scratching his neck with slight embarrassment written on his face.

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh with him.                      

 

They agreed to slip into more comfortable clothing and Yuuri hurried into his room to change into his pyjamas.

When he returned he was greeted with a big smile. Victor was already sitting on his bed to set up his laptop, his legs crossed. Makkachin was rolled up on the rug in front of the bed, his tail wagging with excitement at the sight of Yuuri’s return, even though he had only been gone for a few minutes.

Yuuri bent down to scratch the dog’s head which was accepted gratefully. His curls felt soft and warm in Yuuri’s hand.

Victor smiled at the sight of them.  
“He really likes you, you know. Sometimes when I get up for our walk in the morning I find him sitting in front of your door as if he wants you to come with us.”

Yuuri smiled back. “Well maybe I can join you next time, i-if you don’t mind I mean.”

Victor practically started _beaming._ “Of course! We can go tomorrow before practice! It will be so much fun, we can go to the beach and - oh I’m so excited Yuuri!”

Victor leaped off the bed, catching Yuuri in a hug once again, only this time it was a cheerful and excited one.

When they broke apart Yuuri noticed that Victor had already changed into his pyjamas as well.  
He was wearing a black t-shirt and …were those _Makkachin_ pyjama pants?!

They were light blue with a repeating pattern that consisted of the dog’s little face as well as red hearts. Yuuri knew these pants well. His own were stuffed deeply into his closet along with his many Victor posters and other merchandise where Victor would hopefully never find them.

He had even gotten the limited edition pastel pink version a few years ago when Victor’s “Makkachin” merch line had first launched a few years ago. It had come with Makkachin pyjamas, Makkachin phone cases, laptop sleeves, you name it.

Knowing Victor a little better by now, Yuuri was almost convinced that the only reason that merch line existed was so Victor could cover everything he owned with his dog’s face. Iconic, really.

It seemed that Victor had noticed him staring at the familiar sight of the pyjamas.

“Oh, are you admiring my _amazing_ Makkachin pyjamas? Aren’t they the cutest? You know, Yuuri I still have a spare pair somewhere …” his eyes lit up. “We can _match_!”

“O-oh , no I don’t think that’s necessary…” Yuuri stammered, but Victor had already abandoned his laptop and had gotten up from his bed, now digging around in his wardrobe muttering something in Russian until he finally pulled the pants out with a triumphant “Ha!”.

“Victor thank you but I really am fine, I have my own pyjamas you see.” He awkwardly gestured at his pants.

Victor glanced at his pants with disapproval and then pouted.

“But Makkachin will be sooo sad that you don’t want to wear his merch, won’t you Makkachin?”

Makkachin replied with a yawn. Devastating.

Yuuri finally gave in to wearing the pants (they were comfortable after all) and the two of them got comfortable on Victor’s bed with a blanket spread across their laps. Shortly after, Makkachin had joined them in bed and was now lying at their feet, snoozing happily.

That evening Yuuri found out that apparently Victor had a thing for animated movies.

Together they narrowed down their choices for the evening and ended up watching The Little Mermaid, which turned out to be Victor’s favourite.

Yuuri had actually never seen the movie before and it wasn’t like he wasn’t interested in seeing why this movie was special to Victor. It was just that being so close to him was really distracting.

Victor sleeping on him had been different. Sure it had been an intimate moment. The two of them had even been closer than they were now. Victor’s head on his shoulder. Victor cuddling him when Yuuri woke him up. Did that really happen? At least then, Yuuri had made sure that Victor was completely oblivious to Yuuri’s reaction to him at that moment. His heart starting to beat faster. His face heating up ever so slightly, painting his cheeks in a slight shade of pink. Hiding it now with Victor wide awake and alert right next to him would be difficult.

Victor boldly placing his head on Yuuri’s shoulder didn’t really help either.

_Just what was going on? Victor was a really affectionate person in general so this didn’t mean anything, right?_ Yuuri gathered up all of his courage and cautiously leaned into the touch, which he managed to do rather smoothly for somebody who was mentally screaming inside. _Was this okay? After all it had been Victor who first initiated it so this had to be okay right?_

Much to Yuuri’s surprise the other man responded by slowly placing his hand in Yuuri’s and gently smiling at him when Yuuri looked down, as if he silently wanted to ask Yuuri for permission.

It was okay. Oh, it was so much more than okay.  
Yuuri replied to the silent question by gently squeezing Victor’s hand.

Was this real life? His idol and not to mention _crush_ of many years had come to Japan especially for him, became his coach and now they were sitting next to each other, holding hands? What?  
Yuuri fought the urge to pinch himself.

 

* * *

 

 

Victor was beyond thrilled. Finally, after weeks of tension he had finally gathered up the courage to make a move on Yuuri, even if it was just in the form of handholding. He still found it kind of difficult to read Yuuri and really understand him, which was why he had been so careful. He was pretty sure his heart would shatter if he accidentally scared him away.

Yuuri squeezing his hand had sent a wave of electricity through his body, filling his stomach with a warm feeling. Yuuri’s answer had been more than clear. This was happening. Victor tried to hide his excitement as best as he could, fighting the urge to just give in and _finally_ kiss Yuuri’s beautiful face.

He wasn’t insensitive though. Somehow he felt that he still needed to give Yuuri some time before he initiated something that went further than just gentle touches and hand holding.  
But Victor was okay with that. He was going to give Yuuri all the time he needed to adjust and get comfortable, even if he needed to spend the rest of the year just holding his hand and finding opportunities to pull him into a hug.

That didn’t stop Victor from imagining, though.

His lips looked soft and full and _very_ kissable.

What Victor didn’t expect was Yuuri shifting, letting go of his hand but in exchange placing his head on Victor’s chest. _Wow._ He carefully placed his arm around Yuuri, pulling him even closer. Yuuri let out a content sigh.

They spent the rest of the film laying like this and Victor could practically feel Yuuri relax more and more into his touch. It was a good feeling. His body felt soft and warm against his, and his breathing was soft and regular. Had he fallen asleep? He took a closer look and suppressed a chuckle.  
Just a few hours ago he had been the one to fall asleep on the other.

He had never seen Yuuri sleep before. He had also never thought that Yuuri could be any cuter than he already was. It seemed that he was wrong.

Carefully Victor brushed a streak of hair out of Yuuri’s face when he noticed that he still had his glasses on. He slowly removed them and put them on his nightstand so they wouldn’t break while Yuuri was sleeping. He lifted his head, a little disturbed by the sudden movement but went back to sleep soon after, now rubbing his bare face on Victor’s chest. Victor _melted._

The movie had ended a few minutes ago and Victor gently closed his laptop and put it aside. It wasn’t like either of them had been able to focus on the movie when they obviously had been busy doing more important stuff. Like cuddling. Not that this had been Victor’s plan to begin with but he was not going to complain. Not with Yuuri so close and comfortable on top of him.

Victor yawned and took a look at his phone. It was already past midnight and he was getting quite tired as well. What should he do? He didn’t want to wake Yuuri. Would he be okay with spending the night by his side?

Victor decided that Yuuri could decide this himself if he happened to wake up during the night.

He set his alarm for the morning - 6AM sharp and set his phone by the side.

Slowly he shifted, carefully placing Yuuri beside himself. He mumbled something when Victor grabbed the blanket to pull it over them but quickly after that he sighed and drifted back to sleep. Victor smiled and stroked his cheek with the back of his hand, paying attention to every little detail. His soft skin. His thick, dark eyelashes resting gently on his cheeks. Victor didn’t know how they had gotten here - he just knew that he felt incredibly lucky. He placed an arm around Yuuri and snuggled up close, Yuuri’s body beside his like the missing piece to a puzzle.

With another yawn Victor turned off the light on his nightstand and soon felt himself drift off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys take a walk on the beach together (haha, gay)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the longest chapter yet ! It's also the longest thing I have written by now so I'm kind of proud ;v;  
> I did have kind of a hard time with this chapter but I think it turned out good in the end! I hope you like it too.  
> Again, thank you [pixihawk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixihawk/pseuds/pixihawk) for beta reading! This time the alternative chapter title is: "Get a Hint Yuuri"

Yuuri woke up to the unfamiliar sound of a beeping alarm clock. Confused and still tired he cuddled up to the soft warmth behind him and – _wait._

Realization hit him. This was _not_ his bed.

This bed belonged to Victor Nikiforov. As did the arms that were holding him and the body that was cuddled up to his back - and the legs that were tangled with his.

The memories of last night began to flow back to him - Victor. Holding his hand. Yuuri placing his head on his chest. The smell of his cologne and the feeling of his body beneath Yuuri’s. _What had he been thinking? Victor Nikiforov. The most decorated male figure skater in the world – and also Yuuri’s coach…!_

Too soon to overthink the situation even more the body holding Yuuri slowly shifted, the arm wrapped around his middle lifted and he was greeted with a sleepy Victor resting his head on the nook between Yuuri’s shoulder and neck, mumbling a quiet “Mmm.. good morning, Yuuri.” His voice was still foggy with sleep and his hair looked like a puffy grey cloud. Yuuri wondered whether he was still dreaming.

The cold air that hit him when Victor removed the blanket that was covering them reminded him that, no, he was indeed awake. This was real. _Oh god._

“Yuuuuri,” Victor chirped. “As cute as you are when you are sleepy, you promised to join us on our morning walk remember?”

Yuuri sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked for his glasses and found them on the nightstand next to the bed, wondering how they had gotten there. His blurry vision cleared and he found that Victor was already busy getting dressed, holding different colored sweaters in front of him, apparently trying to decide which one to wear.

Makkachin was already sitting next to the bed, licking Yuuri’s hand with excitement. Yuuri patted the dog’s head lightly as he grabbed his phone to check the time. It was 6:07AM. How on earth could Victor be that awake at this ungodly hour? Yuuri let himself fall back into the bed, enjoying the remaining warmth and the smell that was unmistakably Victor’s.

He spent the next few minutes checking different social media websites. His notifications were practically exploding over an Instagram post that he was apparently mentioned in. Did Phichit tag him in some weird ice skating meme again? He did. But the source of the notifications turned out to be Victor and his selfie from the beach yesterday. “Sightseeing in Japan with @katsukiyuri <3” Victor’s post read, with a minimum of 15 emojis and even more hashtags underneath the text. Particularly the hashtag #cuties caught Yuuri’s attention, as well as the little heart beside his name.  
It was a small gesture and it probably didn’t mean anything. And yet, it seemed that he wasn’t the only one wondering about its meaning. People in the comments were already going wild with speculations about their relationship. Yuuri blushed at the thought. After the last evening it was kind of obvious that yes, Victor was more than a coach to him. But were they more than just friends? He had just spent the night in his arms after all. Yuuri decided to think about that another time. He had to get dressed now if he wanted to join Victor and Makkachin for their morning walk.

Yuuri was just on his way out when he was stopped by Victor who grabbed his wrist, Yuuri yelping at the sudden touch. Victor still wasn’t fully dressed. He was wearing light brown chinos that were hugging his legs tightly but he still hadn’t put a shirt on. Yuuri tried not to look too much but he caught himself staring at Victor’s hipbones that stood out from the hem of his pants. He gulped.   
“Wait, Yuuri! This is important.” He let go of his wrist, and went to grab two long sleeved shirts out of his closet – one of them cream colored with navy blue stripes on them, the other one in a simple olive green.

“Which one should I wear?” Victor grinned. Yuuri looked to both of the shirts and then back to Victor.  
“T-the one with the stripes complements your eyes, uhm I think.” He felt his cheeks heat up. Why was he stuttering? It was definitely too early for this. But Victor seemed pleased with his answer.

“Oh really? Thank you, Yuuri.” Was he imagining things or was Victor Nikiforov blushing about his compliment?

“No problem. I’m - uhm, I’m gonna get changed as well. See you.” With those words, Yuuri quickly fled Victor’s room and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down when he was out of sight. He went to his room; Makkachin’s collar jingling behind Yuuri’s every step, following him. Curiously, the puppy watched Yuuri’s every movement with his head slightly tilted as Yuuri quickly grabbed some jeans and a hoodie to wear for their walk together.

When he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth he bumped into Victor again who stood there – still shirtless – _was he doing this on purpose?!_ Victor waved at him, a toothbrush in his mouth.  
Yuuri smiled and grabbed his toothbrush as well. It felt strangely domestic, the two of them standing there getting ready for the day together and Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder what Victor’s mornings in St. Petersburg looked like before he came here. It kind of made him appear more human – seeing that no, Victor Nikiforov does not wake up in the morning with his hair neatly styled and yes, he also has to brush his perfectly white teeth.

Lost in his thoughts, Yuuri only now noticed that Victor’s hand that had come up to his head to give his hair a good ruffle. “I always wanted to do that, I’m sorry Yuuri.” he grinned.

Oh he was so not sorry.

When Yuuri finished brushing his teeth he was getting revenge.

 

* * *

 

 After the two of them had fixed their hair, Victor grabbed Makkachin’s leash, while the dog was already running up to the door with his tail wagging from excitement.  
“Yuuri is coming with us, Makkachin, isn’t that amazing?” he told him in a baby-talk voice that sounded so unlike him that Yuuri visibly suppressed a laugh. Victor looked over to him and when their eyes locked he smiled shyly in return. He had the prettiest smile Victor had ever seen. It made him feel warm inside and filled his stomach with butterflies.

It was still fairly early in the morning, leaving the house unusually quiet with everyone still asleep. Yuuri’s mother was always the one who would get up first, just before Victor returned from his daily morning walks. She didn’t speak a lot of English so the conversations between them were mostly through gestures and a few words in English. Sometimes even drawings on napkins. Nevertheless Victor was always greeted with a hot cup of tea when he came back and would always try his best to help her in the kitchen, despite her protesting.

“It’s so quiet here in the morning,” Yuuri said. He was wearing a dark red hoodie that was at least two sizes too big for him, along with a pair of jeans that fit his legs tightly enough that Victor couldn’t _not_ notice them. Along with all this he was wearing a black beanie to protect his ears from the cold outside. He looked _adorable_. Victor couldn’t help but wonder what Yuuri would look like in one of _his_ hoodies - probably even more adorable if that was even possible.

After they stepped outside and shut the door behind them with as little noise as possible Victor offered Yuuri his hand. He took it – to Victor’s surprise without any hesitation. He felt his heart starting to beat just a tiny bit faster with excitement and squeezed Yuuri’s hand gently. It felt warm despite the lack of gloves covering them and the cold wind that was blowing outside. Victor didn’t wear any either – he didn’t want a layer of clothing between their hands even if that meant for his fingers to freeze off.

They walked their usual morning route which stretched around a big open field and led them to the beach on the way back, which was Makkachin’s favorite because that meant he could get off the leash. Yuuri and Victor stood there, hands still locked as they watched the dog run around chasing birds and playing with the sand. Victor noticed that Yuuri started to shiver next to him. His fingertips had also started to feel cold and his nose and cheeks were pink.

“Are you okay? You look cold.” Victor stepped a little bit closer, offering Yuuri some of his warmth.

“Ah, no I’m –“

“Now you’re lying. Your nose is all red.” He poked at Yuuri’s nose to prove his point – it really did feel cold – he put an arm around Yuuri, who smiled happily and leaned into his embrace.

“Hey Victor?” Yuuri looked up to him.

“Hm?”

“Were your mornings the same as here back in St. Petersburg?”

That was a question Victor hadn’t expected. He exhaled, thinking.

“I don’t know. Everything seemed to go by so much faster back in Russia. It was also kind of lonely. It’s like time here goes by slower somehow. I remember hurrying outside with Makkachin every morning and then showing up for practice barely on time… okay, I’m lying. Most of the time I was late. I was getting yelled at almost every morning.” He smiled weakly.

“Hmm... You seemed really relaxed when I saw you this morning.” Yuuri replied, gently rubbing his thumb over Victor’s hand in thought.

Victor laughed nervously. “Well I think that’s because I am. I really love it here, you know. I like being with you.”

Yuuri shifted under his arm and came around to hug him tightly.

“I’m glad you came.” He whispered against his chest - barely audible, but Victor understood. He smiled and rested his chin against Yuuri’s head. He was glad that he came, too.

When they broke apart, Victor felt warm inside, the cold autumn air long forgotten. He called Makkachin who joined them quickly after. Victor reattached the leash to his collar and they made their way back to Yu-Topia. This time it was Yuuri who took Victor’s hand.

* * *

 

 “Ohayo gozaimasu!” Victor called cheerfully as they returned, his Russian accent clearly audible.

Yuuri’s mother was already busy in the kitchen. A pot of tea and a mug were already placed on the counter as always. It was Victor’s favorite kind, too.

When she spotted Yuuri behind Victor she smiled at him. “You are up so early? That Victor really is a good influence,” she said in Japanese as she grabbed an extra mug for Yuuri out of the cupboard.  
“I heard my name?” Victor said jokingly, nudging Yuuri in the side.  
“She said she’s surprised I’m up so early.”  
“I see. Thank you for the tea Mrs Katsuki.” Yuuri was already getting to translate but apparently his mother had understood just fine as she was nodding and smiling at Victor before sending both of them off to the table to drink their tea.

They sat down next to each other, Victor sitting unnecessarily close so their thighs were touching and their knees would keep bumping into each other. Yuuri really didn’t mind. He already missed the warm feeling of Victor’s hand in his. As if he could read his mind, Victor’s fingertips started to brush against his own under the table, where no one could see. Yuuri sighed, placing his hand in Victor’s where it belonged. Drinking tea like that turned out to be rather difficult but neither of them wanted to let go. To Yuuri’s surprise no tea was spilled, though.

Their hands separated eventually when Yuuri’s mother returned to them with breakfast and Yuuri hastily let go so she wouldn’t see. Yuuri had wanted this moment to belong to Victor and him alone.

After finishing their breakfast and packing their things they walked to the Ice Castle together as they did every day, talking about the upcoming training schedule and their goals for today’s practice. Only this time they were holding hands for all the way up there. Victor’s hands were addictive, found Yuuri. How had he lived before without holding it on the way to practice? He couldn’t remember.

 

“If you want more impact maybe the last jump can be a quadruple toe loop?”

They had been busy on the rink for over an hour now going over Yuuri’s free skate schedule again and again, discussing different jumps and step sequences.

“Huh, for the last one?” Yuuri was surprised.

“With your stamina you could pull it off. You’d rather not?” Victor leaned close into his personal space. Yuuri could feel the tips of his hair brush against his skin, tickling him. Victor’s breath was warm against his skin now, his lips only a few centimeters away from his. Yuuri gulped, surprised by the challenge in his tone.

“I’ll do it.”

Victor smiled proudly. “Okay.” He put the toe loop down on the notepad he brought. 

Soon the two of them were back on the ice, practicing Yuuri’s now finished free skate choreography.

“Watch your posture.” Victor said as he skated over to him, a smile on his lips.  
_His posture?_ “What do you m –“ but there were warm hands on his hips already, carefully pushing to change their angle and then the hands came up to Yuuri’s face, tipping his chin up ever so slightly, arctic blue eyes meeting his. Yuuri found himself blushing. He was sure there hadn’t been anything wrong with his posture at all.

They went over it all again practicing different moves until Yuuri was out of breath and his feet felt like they were about to fall off at any moment.  Victor decided they’d call it a day and the two of them got off the ice, sitting down to drink some tea which they had brought in thermos cups.

“Oh right, Yuuri did you change your musical theme already?” Victor was untying his skates but his eyes were looking over to Yuuri with curiosity. His nose was slightly red from the cold air inside the ice castle and his warm breath caused little clouds to appear in the air.

“I have. The theme is now _on my love_.” It felt embarrassing to say it out loud but that all faded when Victor looked him in the eyes and smiled warmly.

“That’s the best theme. Perfect.”

 

* * *

 

Later that week the assignments for the Grand Prix were announced. Yuuri’s family was beyond excited, to the point where they even threw him a small “Congratulations On your Grand Prix assignment” – party. Victor thought it was adorable and he was happy that Yuuri’s family was so supportive. It would make a lot of things easier in the long run for Yuuri, even if he didn’t notice that just yet.  Victor spent the evening close by Yuuri’s side, his fingers always resting on some part of his body – his shoulder, his hip or his leg, drawing random shapes absentmindedly while having a drink with Mari and listening to her collection of embarrassing childhood stories. The alcohol slowly made him feel a little warm. He was far away from drunk but tipsy enough that laughter would come to him more easily and the world around him would feel a little bit softer.

“You should have seen Yuuri’s room before you got here – “Mari said sheepishly but was quickly interrupted by Yuuri, who pinched her arm, apparently so she would shut up. Victor raised an eyebrow. Curiously he turned over to face Yuuri. “Hmm? What about your room Yuuri?”

“It’s nothing!” Yuuri exclaimed, his eyes widened. He was hiding something. And Victor would find out what it was.

The corners of Victor’s mouth turned downward into a pout and he placed his head on Yuuri’s shoulder dramatically as he started to fake cry.  “Yuuri, I can’t believe you are keeping secrets from me. I let you sleep in my _bed_.” Mari’s brow arched up. Yuuri started to pat his back. “There, there,” he said. As if that would make Victor forget about this _very important_ issue. He had only been in Yuuri’s room a couple of times but not once further than the doorway. Just what was Yuuri hiding from him?

“Show me your room Yuuri! Pleaaaase, I want to see.” Victor was full on hugging him now and Yuuri sighed under him, then slowly wiggled out his arms and took his hand. He placed their now joined hands in Victor’s lap.  “I think you should go to bed.”  
“Oh but we are having such a good talk, aren’t we Victor?” Mari winked at him.  
She was right. He liked Mari and he decided that he should talk to her more often. But maybe Victor could get more out of Yuuri about this entire room thing when they were alone. He also had to admit that he was desperate for some cuddles and alone time with Yuuri. He nodded. “I’m only going to bed if you come with me, Yuuri. Goodnight Mari!” He waved at her, already getting up, dragging Yuuri behind him before he had any time to protest.

“Well, have fun you two.” She shot Yuuri a glance that caused his entire face to go red.

When they arrived upstairs, Victor headed straight to Yuuri’s room.

 “I want to sleep here tonight!” he announced.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? My bed is much smaller than yours and –“  He quickly put a finger on Yuuri’s lips successfully making him stop talking.

“You just don’t want me to find out about your _secret._ Let me guess - maybe you are secretly a hoarder or a collector. Hmmm let’s see. What do you hoard? Stuffed animals maybe? Oh, or -”

Yuuri laughed at that. “You know what, after all the stuff Mari told you today I guess this will only be _slightly_ more embarrassing. Come inside, I will show you. But you have to promise not to laugh.”

Victor followed Yuuri inside his room. It was mostly tidy with a few clothes scattered here and there. His desk was a quite cluttered. In contrast, the blank walls looked kind of boring. They could use some posters - or artwork maybe? Victor let himself fall down on Yuuri’s bed. It smelled like him. Oh he would definitely sleep there tonight. Or steal the pillow, he decided.

Meanwhile Yuuri was digging through his closet. What was he looking for? Victor watched him curiously and did most definitely not stare at the curve of his ass as he bent down to search for said secret.

When Yuuri found what he had been looking for he carefully placed a pile of paper and some other things on the bed next to him.  
“Right, so most of these were on my walls before you came here. That’s what Mari was talking about.” He nervously scratched his neck as he sat down on the foot of the bed. Victor got up excitedly and sat down next to him. Together they went through the pile - which turned out, consisted of a ridiculous amount of Victor merchandise. There were posters, a calendar, keychains and even a pair of Makkachin pants like the ones that he had made Yuuri wear on their movie night. He felt …flattered. Flattered and happy and warm.    
“Yuuri this is so cute I can’t believe you have been hiding this from me! Oh I definitely need to get a Yuuri poster for my room as well now. Why did you put yours down? ”

“I guess I didn’t want you to know how obsessed I was with you but it’s not like there’s a point hiding it now, uhm.” He took one of the posters in his hand. “This one is my favorite. I think I will put it back on the wall…tomorrow.” He carefully placed the poster on his desk and gathered up the other stuff to put it back in his closet.

“Do you want me to sign it?” Victor asked, a smug grin on his lips. He was mostly joking.

Yuuri laughed and handed him a pen quickly after. “I can’t believe I haven’t asked you already. I’m your biggest fan after all.”

_Wait what?_

Victor signed the poster with his signature autograph and then looked over it and decided to add three little hearts next to his name. Gently, he put the poster back on Yuuri’s desk.

Yuuri had gone to the bathroom just a moment ago and Victor decided to get comfortable in Yuuri’s bed already. He pulled his shirt over his head in one smooth motion and placed it over a chair in the room that already had some of Yuuri’s clothes on it. His pair of jeans followed quickly after that and Victor let himself fall into the bed with just his underwear. When Yuuri returned from the bathroom he was already in his sleeping clothes. How disappointing. Victor yawned. “I’m tired…come cuddle me?” he asked as he held out his arms. Yuuri smiled at the suggestion and joined Victor in bed soon after. It was quite small compared to Victor’s but the two of them made do and Victor ended up falling asleep on Yuuri’s chest, Yuuri’s hand buried somewhere in his hair, their legs tangled. Everything about Yuuri was warm and soft. Victor hadn’t slept that well for a really long time.

The next morning he woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing with a text message. Yuuri was still asleep next to him, his arm loosely draped around Victor’s hip, undisturbed by the noise.

Carefully Victor leaned over to grab his phone. The text message was from Yurio. Victor was surpised. He barely ever got texts from him, and usually Yurio wouldn’t even reply to the pictures of Makkachin that Victor would send him every now and then. Unbelievable.

The text message read:

 _“did you seriously become katsudon’s coach just so you can take him on dates and post selfies on social media?! take ur job more seriously or I will kick ur ass all the way back to russia, bitch._ _”_

Victor suppressed a laugh as he typed out a reply. He then changed his mind and erased it. He opened the camera on his phone to snap a selfie of him with a sleeping Yuuri behind him, all while winking and sticking his tongue out a bit.

The answer to his reply came just a few seconds later.

 _A vomiting emoji_. Classy.

Soon, Yuuri’s and his first figure skating season together would begin. Yuuri would show everyone what he was capable of, he was sure of it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yurio is my son okay i had to bring him in somehow


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the Japanese Regionals!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait ! This chapter is the longest by now and we've officially exceeded 10K words!! I'm really proud! Please leave feedback if you can, it's always appreciated c:
> 
> Thank you again to my dear friend [pixihawk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixihawk) for beta reading <3

The weeks flew by and Yuuri and Victor found themselves travelling to the Japanese Regionals by train. Yuuri had brought a backpack while Victor was travelling with a suitcase that was ridiculously  
big considering they’d only spend a few days there. The competition wasn’t held too far away from Hasetsu with the train journey only taking a little over an hour. It was Victor who had insisted they’d stay there in a hotel overnight to avoid additional stress from travelling. If he was entirely honest he had also booked the hotel so he could have Yuuri all to himself for a while but he didn’t need to tell _that_ to anyone.

Still, he had booked two separate rooms so Yuuri could have his own space if he needed to. Victor had come to the realization that Yuuri tended to keep to himself when he was under a lot of pressure and Victor wanted to give him the opportunity to do so, considering the stress of the upcoming competition especially with how the last Regionals had gone for Yuuri.

Victor was taken aback by surprise and fought back a grin when Yuuri proceeded to walk straight past his own room to dump his suitcase in Victor’s like it was the most natural thing in the world. Once again Victor came to the realization that he had fallen heads over heels for this man.

It was still pretty early in the day when they finished moving into the room. The competition wouldn’t start until the next day so they took their time, getting lost in conversation again and again until they both agreed that it was about time to change into their workout clothes and finally start Yuuri’s final practice before tomorrow. 

The local ice rink was only a short walk away from their hotel. When they arrived, Victor realized Yuuri was visibly tensing up, likely remembering the crushing defeat he’d suffered the last time he’d been there. Viktor frowned with worry and gently placed his warm hand on Yuuri’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Yuuri leaned into the touch slightly and exhaled, his breath leaving a little white cloud in the cold air of the ice rink. When they finally stepped on the ice Yuuri looked calmer and more focused, as if the cold surface beneath him had absorbed some of worries. It was strange how that worked.

The practice went on for longer than necessary (in Victor’s eyes at least) and Yuuri was going over the tricky parts of his performance for the sixth time in a row now. Victor found that it was hard to stop him once he had settled his mind on something. This didn’t just go for practice; it carried on into their personal lives as well. It was just as hard stopping Yuuri from doing that certain flip again and again as it was to stop him from cycling back to the store after realizing he had forgotten to bring the cookies Victor had asked for. And although Victor had said that _no, he could wait for the damn cookies until tomorrow, it wasn’t such a big deal –_ Yuuri would already be out the door. Victor loved that about him but it could be challenging at times, especially as his coach. Victor sighed.  He was scared Yuuri would injure himself if he kept pushing so much.

After Victor finally managed to convince Yuuri to get off the ice for the day they went to the city together, wandering around aimlessly with their hands joined together. It was something that Victor had almost gotten used to – missing the feeling of Yuuri’s hand in his own whenever he was out alone. They took their time exploring the city and ended up finding a cute ramen place in a quiet, hidden corner where Victor invited Yuuri for dinner. They were both starving after the long day of travelling and the exhausting practice so Yuuri accepted his offer gratefully. The place was small and intimate, decorated in warm earth tones and what looked like personal items that had a story behind them. The food tasted amazing. It almost felt like a date, Victor thought when he looked at Yuuri who seemed _very_ absorbed in his food, not noticing the way Victor looked at him like he was the only thing in the room.  They spent almost two hours at the place, talking about everything and nothing and Yuuri seemed to relax more and more as their conversation took his mind off the upcoming competition for at least the time they spent there.  
His laugh would echo through the room softly when Victor told him a funny story and he was convinced that there wasn’t a more beautiful sound in the entire world.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun had already set long ago when they got up from their table to make their way back to the hotel. Victor had insisted on paying and had even helped Yuuri into his jacket when he had gotten up, which had made Yuuri blush furiously. He couldn’t help but wonder if this evening would count as a date.

“I miss Makkachin,” Victor would complain on their way back and Yuuri squeezed his hand in return, assuring him that Makkachin was fine and that they would rejoin as quickly as possible when the Regionals were over.

“Mari is there with him the entire time. You know how crazy he is about her. He will be fine, I’m sure of it.” That seemed to ease Victor’s mind for a little bit. Yuuri smiled at him reassuringly.

They took their time walking back to the hotel. The weather was nice despite the cold and the night was beautiful and clear, the stars above clearly visible and lighting up the night sky. Yuuri enjoyed it when they were alone like this. It happened all too rarely since there were always people around where they lived. The most time they really spent alone together was during their practice in The Ice Castle and even then they would sometimes be interrupted by Yuko or other people who would watch them curiously. It wasn’t like it really bothered Yuuri that much. He liked Yuko and if he was honest he felt kind of honored that people came to watch him practice, even if sometimes they just came for Victor – and Yuuri couldn’t really blame them for that. He just enjoyed having Victor all to himself. Was that selfish?  


The porter in the hotel greeted them when they finally arrived, their noses and ears slightly pink from the cold air outside. The ride in the elevator was spent in silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence but Yuuri could tell that there was still something on Victor’s mind. He could see it in his eyes. They lacked their usual shine and he would stare into the distance absentmindedly every now and then, seemingly lost in thoughts.

When they got to their room, Yuuri excused himself for a quick shower. Victor just gave him a tired nod in return and let himself fall onto the bed with all of his clothes still on.  
When Yuuri closed the bathroom door behind himself he pulled out his phone to text his sister.

**Yuuri, 10:36 PM**

_Victor really misses Makkachin and I think he’s worried…you think you could do a video call with him later?_

**Mari, 10:43 PM**

_This man, I swear to god. You’re such a good boyfriend Yuuri. Sure, just call me when you’re ready._

**Yuuri, 10:44 PM**

_MARI ;; he’s not my boyfriend_

**Mari, 10:44 PM  
** _sure_

 

The bathroom door closed behind Yuuri with a little click. His hair clung to his face slightly, still a little damp from the shower. He had changed into sleepwear and now stepped forward to their bed. Victor was still lying there, at least with his shoes off by now. His eyes were closed and his arm was draped over his face. His breathing was slow but Yuuri could tell he wasn’t sleeping.  
“Hey.” he said and sat down on the bed next to him. Victor’s eyes opened slightly and lazily brushed a streak of silver hair aside. He looked exhausted and Yuuri knew that it was not just from their busy day.

“I texted Mari.  If you want to you can talk to her and Makkachin. You seem so worried.”

Victor’s eyes lit up a little bit and Yuuri was already handing him his phone, Mari’s number already dialed. Victor gave Yuuri such a big smile that it reached his eyes.

He spent the next twenty minutes asking Mari about every little detail of their day, all while cooing at Makkachin and telling him what a good boy he was being through the camera. Yuuri stayed next to Victor the entire time, holding his free hand.  Mari laughed and promised to send them update photos every other hour from now on. Yuuri wondered what he’d done to deserve her.  

After they’d said goodbye, Victor turned off the phone screen and handed the phone back to Yuuri who placed it on the nightstand. He could see that Victor was more relaxed now and the genuine smile that Yuuri loved so much was back, lighting up his entire face and making Yuuri’s heart flutter with affection.

“Thank you so much Yuuri. I can’t even tell you how much this means to me. I’m really lucky for my excellent taste in men.”  He was grinning now, a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Eh?!” Yuuri stuttered. He could swear that his heart would beat out of his chest at that very moment. How does someone respond to that? Saying “You’re welcome” seemed hardly appropriate but Victor continued before Yuuri had the chance to find any words.

“I mean it Yuuri. You’re amazing and gentle and beautiful and perfect and I – really like you. I have for quite some time now but I wasn’t sure if you felt the same.”  
His hand came up to rest on Yuuri’s chest now, right over his heart. He smiled.

Yuuri didn’t really know how to respond to that either so he touched Victor’s cheek with his hand, bringing his face closer. Victor leaned into the touch. Yuuri’s fingers came to his hair, pushing aside a strand that had once again fallen in front of his eyes and tugging it behind Victor’s ear. Yuuri then tried to lean even closer and their foreheads bumped - leaving their lips only centimeters apart.  And then, Victor kissed him. Or did Yuuri kiss Victor? It didn’t matter.  What mattered were Victor’s lips on his own and all he could think was _finally_.  

When they broke apart, their faces were still close and Yuuri could feel every single one of Victor’s breaths on his skin. He looked up from Victor’s lips and caught him looking into Yuuri’s eyes with such pure adoration that he thought he would melt right then and there in Victor’s arms. There were worse way to die, for sure. His hand came up to Yuuri’s face once again, brushing over his bottom lip with his thumb, smiling widely. Yuuri couldn’t help but press his lips onto that smile one more time, smiling as well.

 

* * *

 

 

When Victor woke up the next morning he found Yuuri wrapped up in his arms, snoring quietly. Victor smiled. He had woken up to this sight quite a few times by now but this time was different. They had kissed last night. He still felt the ghost of Yuuri’s lips on his own – soft and gentle and perfect. They had kissed for a long time - until late into the night when Victor regretfully had to pull away and tell Yuuri that they had to go to sleep. Yuuri had complained at first but he had passed out in Victor’s arms soon after.  Victor had planted a last soft kiss on his temple before cuddling up to him and feeling himself drift off to sleep as well.

Yuuri turned in Victor’s arms, mumbling something incomprehensible and burying his face in Victor’s shirt, against his chest. Victor smiled and stroked a streak of hair out of his face carefully before planting a soft kiss on the top of his head.  
“Hey”, he whispered softly, running his fingers through Yuuri’s hair. “Good morning. It’s time to get up.”  
Yuuri’s eyes started to flutter open and he slowly lifted his head, smiling softly when his eyes met Victor’s. His smile turned into a yawn soon after. “Good morning,” he mumbled quietly and Victor couldn’t help himself so he pressed a kiss on Yuuri’s lips instead of replying.

That kiss quickly turned into another make-out session when Yuuri kissed him back oh so eagerly, suddenly much more awake than just a few seconds ago. His hands had crept under Victor’s shirt at some point, touching the sensitive skin of his lower back with shy but curious hands, Victor shivering at every touch.

They ended up almost missing breakfast and arrived barely on time, their hair still a mess and yeah that was definitely a hickey on Victor’s neck. He would have to cover that up later. They were just done with eating when Yuuri’s phone buzzed with a text message. Yuuri quickly unlocked it and handed it to Victor with a smile.

The screen showed a picture of Makkachin who looked _very_ happy, running around at the beach, his fur covered in sand. Without thinking too much about it he opened the camera app on Yuuri’s phone to quickly snap a picture of the two of them to send as a response. Mari’s reply came seconds later, causing Yuuri to almost choke on his coffee as he read it.

**Mari, 08:32 AM**

_my dear baby brother, is that a HICKEY on your coach's neck? How unprofessional_

_congrats on the sex btw_

 

* * *

 

 

“What should I give you on the way before sending you off onto the ice as your coach for the first time? I was thinking th– “But Yuuri had already left to do his warmup without a word to Victor.

He was worried. He could tell Yuuri was nervous. It was written all over him. With time Victor had learned that Yuuri had the habit of building walls around him when he was feeling anxious or worried, hoping that nobody around him would notice. It was in a way an attempt to protect himself. Ironically it was exactly that which Victor noticed most – he noticed it in the way Yuuri behaved – when he was strangely distant from the way they’d usually interact. Sometimes he’d be irritable and snap at people only to regretfully apologize later when he was in a better place of mind.

Thanks to all the time they spent together Victor had gotten better and better at realizing what exactly Yuuri needed from him in order to get through those walls. Today they had started to build up when the two of them had made their way out of the hotel and reality had slowly started to dawn on Yuuri. With reality came the pressure. And with the pressure came the fears. It was up to Victor now to put his knowledge to good use and help Yuuri to perform as best as he could today. It was his duty as his coach – and as his boyfriend.

 

* * *

 

 

_My goal is the Grand Prix Final. I can’t lose my nerves already. This is only a national competition._

_I improved a lot since last time. I even bet Yurio. My coach is Victor Nikiforov for god’s sake._

Yuuri tried calming his nerves to his best effort while the clock signaling the time for the warm up was ticking. It was no use. He could feel the nervousness flowing through his entire body like a cold wave of water. His fingertips were tingling and he had to make an effort to stop his legs from shaking. His breath was going fast and he could only partly blame it on the physical aspect of the warmup. The hall was loud and bright and Yuuri tried his best to blur out the people that were everywhere, probably looking at him and noticing how scared he was.  
He flinched and felt like his heart beat in his chest wildly when the countdown clock beeped loudly, announcing that the warmup was over.

Yuuri exhaled shakily and skated up to Victor, already mentally bracing himself for disappointing him. From behind the barricade Victor was glaring at him with a weird expression. Why did he look so grumpy?

“Yuuri, turn around.” He ordered. His voice didn’t sound harsh but the sudden words still managed to confuse Yuuri.

“Eh?” The noise escaped Yuuri’s mouth before he could stop himself.

“Come on, turn around.”

“Uhm, okay? Like that?” Yuuri turned around slowly until his back was facing the barricade.

Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, the heat of them burning through the thin fabric of Yuuri’s costume. Yuuri felt a little bit of pressure drip off his shoulders right at that moment. He sighed and leaned into the touch, Victor’s soft hair tickling his neck and his breath warm on Yuuri’s skin.  
The hug felt nice- comforting. He felt protected; Victor’s warm body was a harsh but welcome contrast to the cold air at the ice rink. Yuuri realized only now how much he had missed touching him. Behind closed doors they couldn’t keep their hands off each other but in public it was different and they tried to hold back as much as they could. Cameras clicked and flashes lit up the room from every side but Yuuri barely noticed them. Victor was all he could focus on at this moment, taking up every space of his mind, louder than any thought. All of his surroundings were forgotten for a brief moment.

“Seduce me with all your power. If you can seduce me, you can seduce the audience as well -like I said during practice.” Victor’s breath was hot and practically burned in Yuuri’s neck as he whispered those words to him. His mouth was close - almost touching his skin and Yuuri couldn’t help but remember the feeling of said mouth on his lips just a few hours before -warm and soft. Victor was right. Technically, he was already his. All that Yuuri had left to do was show the audience.

Yuuri felt the heat rise to his cheeks. “Y-yes,” he answered.

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri shot Victor a sneaky grin when the music began to play and he began dancing to Eros with a confidence that Victor had hardly ever seen in his eyes before.

He landed his triple axel perfectly, gaining a surprised “Oooh!” from the audience.

Victor watched him closely, watched the way his body moved, perfectly in rhythm with the music, gliding over the ice with ease. The costume underlined his routine perfectly, hugging Yuuri’s body neatly in just the right places, the color offering a good contrast to Yuuri’s light skin.

Victor breathed in sharply through his teeth when Yuuri’s hand touched the ice. He hoped he wouldn’t lose focus now. But Yuuri reacted well and didn’t seem to lose his cool as he continued.

Victor held onto the barrier tightly as he watched Yuuri skate the rest of his routine. He didn’t let go until the music stopped and Yuuri was in his end pose, his face flushed and sweaty with exhaustion.

Yuuri did well. But he knew he could do better. When Yuuri came off the ice he couldn’t stop himself from taking Yuuri’s routine apart, his words a rush of critique to which Yuuri just responded with “Yes.” over and over, his eyes focused on the ground, probably not even processing his words. Victor had always hated when Yakov had done that so why was he doing it now? Was it a coach thing? He stopped in his complaints and looked up when Yuuri’s points were announced. He had exceeded his personal best over ten points.  


* * *

 

Yuuri felt like a different person the next day. Yesterday’s success still burned in his bones in the best possible way. Along with it came the euphoria with being able to kiss Victor whenever he wanted and finally being able to call him _his._ Those feelings made a pretty good mixture that filled Yuuri with some well needed confidence and adrenaline for his upcoming free skate.

“This costume looks best on you. You look so handsome in that one.” Victor stood close. Really close. He was wearing a fancy black suit himself, a sight that Yuuri could swear he had almost fainted at when he had seen it for the first time. Victor’s fingers came up to Yuuri’s face and he couldn’t help but feel his heart take up a faster rhythm.

“Oh, your lips are chapped.” Victor reached into his pocket and got out a small container. His fingers came up to Yuuri’s lips, spreading balm on them in a soft motion, longer than really necessary. Now he was just teasing. Yuuri fought the urge to grab him by his tie to pull him into a kiss right then and there. He took the mental note to do that once they were alone again. Victor gave him a last, tight hug before his performance and then Yuuri stepped on the ice.

 

* * *

 

 

The program began with the time where he performed all by himself – a double instead of a triple combination…? Oh Yuuri. He wanted too much today. Victor knew that feeling too well but it still didn’t stop him from mildly panicking when he realized that Yuuri had changed the jumps from their original plan. Didn’t he remember that he was supposed to concentrate on the performance today? He wasn’t smiling. Next up was the part where Victor had become his coach. His performance wasn’t perfect but the audience still seemed to go with him because he skated to the music perfectly. He really planned to do those three quadruple jumps huh? Victor’s finger came up to his lips, thinking. Yuuri definitely wanted too much today. But that was also the reason Victor wasn’t able to look away – he was beautiful.  
The theme of the music started changing to something more gentle and Victor knew that this part of the performance was about Yuuri finding love. Theoretically speaking, this part was about him. He couldn’t help but smile to himself at the thought.

Yuuri was skating like he was the most beautiful thing on the ice - to Victor it was true – the way he moved on the ice and the way his costume reflected the light off his body took his breath away. A quick feeling of euphoria washed through Victor’s body when Yuuri nailed the next triple axel perfectly.

That feeling was quickly gone and replaced by something else that Victor couldn’t yet describe when Yuuri’s face hit the barricade and Victor inhaled through his teeth sharply, his eyes widened. This could have gone badly. He wasn’t sure if he should be angry with him or sick with worry. But Yuuri didn’t seem to be hurt apart from a few drops of blood that were dripping from his nose. He had gotten lucky. He could have gotten a concussion for all he knew.

If Victor would have done that back in the day Yakov would have beaten his ass for sure. Where did Yuuri get that from anyway disobeying his coach’s orders like that? Victor continued watching him eagerly, every muscle in his body tensed up until Yuuri’s free skate came to an end and he did his final pose, his arm stretched in an elegant, straight line, pointing towards him. _No way – from him?_

Yuuri’s eyes met Victor’s and Yuuri grinned at him, a little embarrassed with blood still running from his nose. Victor buried his face in his hand at the sight but his emotions got the better of him and he looked back up, opening his eyes towards his boyfriend. Relieved, Yuuri skated towards him, clearly aiming for a hug. As much as Victor would have loved that, he was not getting any blood on his designer suit. The boyfriend part of him was incredibly proud and happy but he had to admit that the coach part of him was still a little pissed off as well.     

_The points for skater number 4, Katsuki Yuuri: 165,28 points - total: 259,56 points!_

Victor caught him in a big hug – but not without giving him his typical coach rant – he had to compromise _somehow_. They were interrupted before he could even finish and Yuuri was off signing autographs, doing interviews and taking photos until the podium ceremony began.

Victor clapped proudly as he watched Yuuri step on the podium, looking happier than Victor had ever seen him before.

 

 

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT FINALLY HAPPENED MY DUDES


End file.
